New Delhi, Apr 10: Allahabad High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma has withdrawn from the ongoing inquiry by the Judges Inquiry Committee (JIC) in connection with impeachment proceedings, alleging denial of fairness and due process.
In a detailed 13-page letter to the committee constituted under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, Justice Varma said the proceedings against him lacked foundational evidence and reversed the burden of proof without establishing a prima facie case.
“History will record the unfairness with which a sitting High Court judge was treated,” he wrote, announcing his decision to withdraw from the inquiry with immediate effect.
The controversy stems from a fire incident at his residence on March 14, 2025, during which firefighters allegedly recovered unaccounted cash. Justice Varma, who was out of state at the time along with his wife, has denied the allegations and termed them a conspiracy.
Following the incident, then Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna initiated an in-house probe and later asked Justice Varma to resign or face impeachment. After he declined, the matter was forwarded to the President and the Prime Minister, leading to formal proceedings.
Justice Varma, in his letter, alleged that key evidence was withheld from him and that he was not allowed to cross-examine witnesses. He also claimed that several witnesses whose testimonies were not adverse to him were dropped without explanation.
He further argued that the evidence presented fell short of establishing even a prima facie case and did not meet the standard of proof required in such proceedings.
“In these circumstances, I would be doing myself and the institution a disservice by continuing to participate in a process that calls upon me to answer the unanswerable,” he said.
The judge’s resignation comes amid ongoing proceedings initiated by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in August 2025, who had constituted a three-member panel to probe the allegations.
(Inputs: Bar & Bench)
